Slidable side jaw wrench



March 25, 1952 c. R. RENEER SLIDABLE SLIDE JAW WRENCH Filed Aug. 29,1950 S/ w I til INVENTOR. Char/es FE. Teneer Patented Mar. 25, 1952UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Charles R. Reneer,Paintsville, Ky.

Application August 29, 1950, Serial No. 182,081

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to wrenches and in particular to the typewhich automatically adjusts itself to the size of the nut, or head ofthe bolt upon which the work is done.

One object of the invention is to provide a wrench structure which maybe easily and cheap- 1y manufactured by forming the major parts byforging.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and convenientmeans for adjusting the jaws of the wrench to the size of the nut,stock, pipe, or work upon which the wrench is to be used. r

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for normallykeeping the wrench in closed position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of a novelconstruction, the broad principles of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and described in detail in the followingspecification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the wrench having part of thehandle broken away.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the edge of the wrench looking towardthe left in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the opposite edge of the wrenchlooking toward the right in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevational side view of a modified form of the wrench.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the edge of the wrench looking towardthe left in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view in elevation of the opposite edge of the wrenchlooking toward the right in Figure 4.

The wrench consists of three principle parts, two jaw members It] and I2forming a head, and a handle member I4. The jaw members are providedwith parallel faces, as shown at I I1 and I2, which are so constructedthat they slidably interlock, and when moved in relation to each other,their faces are always in parallel relationship.

Jaw I 2 is designated as the stationary jaw, and is provided withbifurcated lower portion having side members I6 and I8. The jaw I0 isdesignated as the slidable jaw and is reduced in thickness adjacent itslower portion to allow this portion to slide between the members I6 andI8 of the stationary jaw members forming the head of the wrench. Theopening between the bifurcated members I6 and I8 is narrowed downadjacent the clamping, or face, portions of the jaws Ill and I2 byincreasing the thickness of the bifurcated members as shown at'IB' andI8. This narrowed portion I6' and I8 forms a step as shown at It and I8"in the opening between the members It and IE to further reduce the widthof the bifurcated opening and extends through the upper edge of thebifurcated portion of the jaw I2, which is below the jaw clamping faceI2, to the point I2. The two side members I6 and I8 are carried andpreferably formed integrally with the upper end of the jaw I2 beginningat I2 and extending to the outer edge of the jaw. This type of structureprovides for efficient forging and milling of the bifurcated portion ofthe stationary jaw member I2 because there are no offsets or beadsrunning along the inner surface of the members I6 and I8.

The slidable jaw has its upper portion and its face portion IIl' ofsubstantially the same dimensions as the corresponding part of thestationary jaw I 2. Its lower portion I I!" is reduced in thickness to apoint where it will snugly slide between the bifurcated members It andI8 of the lower jaw member. The portion I0" is further reduced inthickness along lines "1" to form a portion I5 which will slide withinthe step formed by the portions I6 and I8. This reduced portion I5extends for the full length of the reduced portion Ill" and cooperateswith the step formed by the portions I6 and I8 of the stationary jaw toform a track or guide for aiding the slidable jaw to support the jawface I0 parallel with the stationary jaw face I2 when these portions areheld in slidable contact. Along the bottom of the movable jaw I0 is agear rack having teeth 20 which are of such. size and structure as toengage teeth 22 carried at one end by the handle I4. The toothed end ofthe handle is pivoted upon the pin 24 between the bifurcated members I6and I8 in such a manner as to provide for the engagement of the teeth 20carried on the slidable jaw and teeth 22 carried on the handle.

When the jaws are assembled and the handle is secured in place by thepin 24, which extends through the side members I6 and I 8, the twotoothed members are adapted to engage each other as shown in Figures 1and 4. By this arrangement, when the handle is oscillated about the pin24, the slidable jaw I0 is moved along a line defined by the steps I6"and I8" between the members I6 and I8. The teeth 22, by engaging theteeth 20, will keep the slidable jaw in place against the steps I6" andI8", and, therefore, the faces I0 and I2 of the jaws are always parallelto each other throughout the movement of the jaw member ID.

In Figures 1 to 3 there is shown one form of wrench. In this form. thefaces I0 and I2 are shown as serrated for handling pipe, or round stock.However, the jaw faces may be smooth as shown in Figure 4, In thisparticular form, the slidable jaw member forming the head of the wrenchand the handle are free-fioating, that is, the slidable jaw may be movedin any position relative to the stationary jaw by the handle (withinlimits) where it will normally remain until again moved by the handle.In this form the wrench is shown in full lines in its normal closedposition, and in dotted lines in its open position.

In Figures 4 to 6 there is shown a form of wrench very similar to thatshown in Figures 1 to 3. This modification has in addition to the wrenchjust described a plate 25 welded or fastened over the outer ends of themember it and I8 and opposite the face l2. This member is attached afterthe jaw members have been assembled. Extending within the portions it ofthe jaw it and opposite the plate 25 is a recess Z-Bfor-receiving acompression spring 2'?! which will; contact the bottom of the recess andthe outer plate 25. By this arrangement the slidable jaw IE] isconstantly being urged toward the stationary jaw.

Secured in the opposite edge of the bifurcated portion of the jaw I2 andthe walls i6 and i8 is a member. 36 extending downwardly and out of. thebifurcated area and along the handle it for, a short distance when thewrench is fully opened. By this construction, when the, wrench is not inuse,, or fastened upon an object such as a bolt head or nut, the wrenchis normally heldin closed position by the spring'Z'I. In normaloperationof this form of the wrench, the wrench. may be opened to the proper sizeby pressing the thumb as indicated at 32 on the lower end 30' of themember 39 which will rotate the head. As the head is rotated, the teeth2% and 22 will move the slidable jaw outwardly and increase the openingbetween the jaws for adjusting the same for whatever object is to beheld;

The form shown in Figures 1 to 3 is operated in substantially the samemanner except for spring 21' and the member 36.. The jaws are opened byrotating. the head, which consists of the jaws land 12, about the pin 2swhile holding the handle in a fixed position.

The improved wrench. presents one that is easily and economicallymanufactured. By fo'rmingthe bifurcation in one of the jaw membei's'asdescribed for jaw 12, theymay be forged and milled by a very simple.operation. A single pass over the surfacesof eachof. the cooperating:parts of each of the jaws places them in condition for assembling. Thisconstruction biiur" avoids any undercuts, or beads, on the cooperatingsliding surfaces.

While two preferred forms of the invention have been shown in detail, ithas been done to illustrate the general principles involved and not forlimiting the invention in any way as the scope of the invention is bestdefined in the accompanying claim.

I claim:

In a self-adjusting wrench comprising a head having a stationary jaw anda slidable jaw, said stationary jaw having a bifurcated lower portionincluding a step on each side of the inner surface of the bifurcatedportion extending along its upper extremity, the inner surfaces of thesaid bifurcated portion including the two sides of the said step beingformed with parallel sides lying a separate parallel planes, theslidable jaw having its lower portion reduced in thickness to slidablyfit within the bifurcated portion of the stationary jaw, a recessextending along each side of the upper edge of the reduced portion and00- operating with the said step, a gear rack located along the loweredge of the reduced portion of the slidable jaw, a handle having anarcuated toothed end adapted to engage saic. rack, means carried thestationary jaw for pivoting the handle adjacent toothed end to thestationary jaw, a fixed bracket across one side of the ""d portion ofthe stationary jaw, a recess wit in the reduced portion of the slidableopposite the said bracket, compression spring positioned within saidrecess and. extending outwardly and contacting the said bracket forurging the slidable jaw toward the stationary jaw, a finger engagingmeans secured to the opposite edge the stationary jaw. from the saidbracket and lying in the plane of. the handle for rotating the headagainst the com.- pression spring to extend the slidable jaw outwardlyfrom the stationary jaw for adjusting the jaws of the wrench to thework.

CHARLES: R. RENEER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

758,266 Molin Apr. 26, 1904 811,885 Webb et al. Feb..6,- 1906 874,259Webbet a1 Dec. 17, 1907 1,253,227 G-aisser Jan. 15,1918 1,682,2U Larsonet a1 Oct. 12,1926 1,771,172 Fraser July 22,-,1930 2,351,821 Larson June20, 1944

